Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-10-15
HIGHLY PROSPEROUS
The Annual Report Of the Gov.
ernor OF Montana to the Sec.
retary of the Interior.
An Especially Interesting Doc
ument-A Land Figuratively
Flowing with Milk and Honey.
MONTANA.
MONTANA.
Annual Report of Governor Leslie to the
secretary Of the Interior

secretary OF the Interior
Governor Leslie in his annual re.
port speaks in glowing terms of the
"Montain" territory his preface to the
report being as follows:
1T becomes my pleasant duty TO
report the general prosperity of this
great and favored territory, over
which IL has pleased the president to
give me the honor Of presiding. l can
not speak 10 too strong terms the
praise of those hardy pioneers, who
left the east and refinements of civI.
lized life, who left friends and rela.
tives aud with rifle, pick aud shovel
sought their fortunes In the golden
sands OF our gulches; or Of those who
len their homes, schools and churches
and loaded the most cherished of their
household goods into wagons, and
with few domestic animals and agri.
cultural implements, and3with their
wives and little ones took their long
aud weary way, thousands of miles
over wild prairies, across broad rivers,
over moutains aud through deep, dark
gorges, always surrounded by bands
of prowling, ,thieving aud bloodthirsty
savages, and after months Of such
march, beset with more dangers and
Bardships than beset the army Of
Nenophon, and that often baffied the
hardy soldiers of Lewis and Clarke,
they planted their homes in these
beautiful valley and here laid broad
and deep the foundations Of great
aud prosperous common wealth. These
brave men and braver women came
with empty pockets, but with clear
heads, strong hands and honest; they
have compelled these gulches to give
up their shining dust and these noun
tains to yield their golden treasures;
they have turned these mountain
streams upon thirsty soil, and Sc
cured the most luxuriant crops. The
gold and the glowing description Of
hidden treasures, Of mines and soils
and genial skies which they sent home
brought thousands 10 their assistance,
and IN a quarter of u century they have
built prosperous commoDwealt on
the foundation so well laid by those
free, hardy pioneers. Cities have
sprung up like magic, large stately
structures have been erected for public
uses, substantial and commodious
school houses and other institutions
of learning, good church buildings,
commercial and banking houses that
would be no discredit to Broadway and
andW all street, mark the progress Of
this great country. Men who welded
the pick and shovel or drove bull
team for long years, now live in pal
aces, dictate financial politics, regulate
discounts and direct the channels Of
Thousands Of prosperous
rural homes, such az are found no
where but upon the American farm,
ornament all our broad, rich valleys,
and the hum and tread Of busy indus.
try add music to the hills, while mil
lions Of cattle and horses and sheep
feed and fatten on the grasses which
grow spontaneous everywhere ali over
this broad domain.
The population of the territory be
estimates at 10000 an increase Of TO-.
900 during the past year, and this pop.
ulation he describes as wonderfully
homogeneous and law abiding"
On the subject Of agriculture the re-
port continues: "The most conserya-
tive industry, and that one best calcu-
lated Of all to yield the necesssries
and comforts of life, and the most Ger.
tain to produce hardy, virtuous and
patriotic peole, IL agriculture. IL Is
not. then ,an unmixed evil that great
loss Of stock during the last severe
winter has turned the attention ofour
people more fully TO ordinary farming.
The conviction Is becoming very
strong that IL IL not safe 10 trust cnt-
tie on the rang without some pro-
vision for their support when the
grass is short and the weather is so ex-
cessively severe; for when these con-
ditions arrive 1t is too late to obtain
the needed food. There are no neigh
boring communities whose surplus
could be obtained. Aud in fact the
surplus OF no slate would have been
sufficient to have saved the many that
persisted last winter. And, besides
thera is grave question Of humanity
involved In this business. Such .uf.
fcrings, even OF the dumb brute, make
an irresistible appeal to every human
heart. These facts have led our people
TO make N IRE liberal provisions for